


Baz Met a Bloke

by angelsfalling16



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fiona knows something is up, M/M, SnowBaz, but Simon is still oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 07:58:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17421986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsfalling16/pseuds/angelsfalling16
Summary: Someone on Tumblr requested a fic where Fiona and Simon interact, so I decided to rewrite that scene in chapter 56 when Baz visits Fiona. Simon is also there, which Fiona isn't happy about, but not so unhappy that she isn't willing to embarrass Baz.





	Baz Met a Bloke

**Simon**

There is complete silence between the three of us as Baz and I sit across from his aunt at the table in her flat. She glances between us, wondering why her nephew would bring me – the Mage’s heir – into her home. I’m not quite sure why he did either. I could have just stayed in the car or something. I know that she hates me, and I’m not all that fond of her either.

I expected her to try to kick me out as soon as she saw me. She did try, but Baz told her that I was with him. He wouldn’t give her an explanation for why I was with him, and for a reason that I don’t understand, she relented. I fear that this is some kind of trap. They lured me here so that I could be killed. That’s the only reason that he would have brought me along. I ignore the fact that I came here willingly.

I sit there with a death grip on the cup of tea that I was given. I’m afraid to actually drink it because for all I know, it could be poisoned. That’d be a great way for the Families to win, off the Chosen One with a cup of tea that he drinks willingly.

Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I doubt it.

“Tell me about Nicodemus,” Baz says. It’s not a question, and he says it like there isn’t a doubt in his mind that she knows about him and will tell him whatever she knows.

“Who’s been talking to you about Nicodemus?” She asks. I don’t miss the glare that she shoots in my direction.

“Nobody,” he lies, nonchalantly dunking some shortbread into his tea. “I’ve just heard that he’s like me.”

He means a vampire, but that’s where the similarities likely end between them. Baz would never turn against the World of Mages. Magic is important in Baz’ family, and he would never just give it up. He’ll barely admit that he’s a vampire, so there’s no way that he would turn away from his family and join them.

I hate that there’s a voice in my head whispering that I can’t know that for sure. I’ve always thought that Baz was up to something, so maybe this is possible.

He’s already a vampire, though, so it isn’t like he needs to be Turned like Nicodemus did.

“He betrayed us, Basil,” Fiona is saying in a low voice when I tune back into the conversation. “And he was stricken for it.”

“He was stricken because he’s a vampire.”

“That’s not going to happen to you. No one knows about you.” Her eyes cut to me for a brief moment. “Well, almost no one. Why did you bring the Mage’s heir along again?” She sounds less angry this time but not by much.

“Simon isn’t going to go against us.” He sounds more certain than I feel about this. I’m waiting for the moment one of them moves to quickly so that I can pull my sword out to protect myself.

“But he’s the _Mage’s heir_ ,” she repeats. “We can’t trust him.”

“And he’s here with me,” Baz says. “He’s not hurting anyone, and he isn’t going to run to the Mage with any of this.” He says it like it’s a given, but I’m not so sure about that.

His aunt thinks thoughtfully for a moment. I can’t begin to try to figure out what’s going through her head. After a slow minute drags by, there’s a small change in her facial expression

“Fine.” She still doesn’t sound happy, but she seems more welcoming now.

“So, is Nicodemus still alive?” Baz asks.

The two of them go on to talk about Nicodemus and what happened to him, but I keep my mouth shut. I know that my input wouldn’t be wanted here. Baz has made that perfectly clear in the past.

Fiona warns him against Nicodemus, telling him that there is nothing for Baz to learn from him. He tells her that he won’t bother him, but I’ve known him long enough and spent enough time with him over the years to know that he is lying. His aunt either doesn’t pick up on it or chooses to ignore it. Baz will do whatever it takes to find out who murdered his mother. I note that he doesn’t mention this little tidbit to her. I’m sure that the fact that Nicodemus may know what happened to Baz’ mother is something that she might want to know, but Baz doesn’t say anything about it. Maybe that’s for the best.

Baz stands, ready to leave, and I follow suit. She tells him to go home and study, but he reminds her that he said that he’s on break and that he’s going dancing. I frown at him, confused, but don’t say anything. He never mentioned anything about dancing. He never actually said what his plans were for today, which is why I even agreed to come along with him to visit his aunt. I didn’t know what I was agreeing to.

If he plans to go dancing after this, I am horribly unprepared. I can’t dance. And who would I even dance with? Where we would be going dancing? Why didn’t he tell me? Why is he still keeping things from me?

I’m busy running through these questions and barely hear Fiona’s next question.

“Basil. Have you met a bloke?”

Her eyes travel down his nice suit and black shoes. Then, her eyes flicker to me, and I feel horribly underdressed standing next to him right now. Most of what I’m wearing belongs to Baz, but I refused to dress up like he did because he wouldn’t tell me why I should. He just murmured something about looking half-way decent for once in my life before shoving his jumper into my hand and walking out of the room.

I try to process what she said while also trying to read the expression that flickers briefly across Baz’ features. He seems displeased with her remark and turns to leave. I stand rooted to the spot, stunned, trying to figure out what it all means until I realize that he will probably leave without me if I don’t follow him.

“Don’t forget that the front seat’s for people who haven’t been kidnapped by fucking numpties,” Fiona calls after us when we reach the door.

I turn to look at her to see what she means, and she’s laughing. Wait. Is that why Baz missed so much of the school year? Because he was kidnapped? Why didn’t he tell me?

“Let’s go, Snow,” Baz sneers, pulling on my arm. He sounds annoyed. I follow after him slowly letting the new piece of information sink in. I choose to forget what Fiona said before that. It’s easier not to think about things, especially things that don’t concern me. Baz being kidnapped is much more important anyway.

“You were kidnapped?” I ask. “By _numpties_?” I try not to laugh, but I still earn a glare from Baz. “Seriously, though. Are you alright?”

“I’m not talking about this with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because we aren’t friends. We aren’t even on the same side.”

“But you told your aunt…” I feel like a little kid, trying to figure out why someone doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. I guess we were never friends, and I shouldn’t have believed that that could ever change.

Because I had begun to believe it. The truce, staying at his house – in his room – and coming along with him on this adventure has given me false hope. I foolishly believed that he could change his mind about wanting to fight me. He’s just using me, pretending that we get along, until we find whoever killed his mother. Then, he’ll kill me. He’ll try to at least.

“I only said that so that she wouldn’t kill you. Not until after you help me find my mom’s murderer at least. After that, she can do whatever she wants, and I won’t stop her.”

His words sting, but they shut me up. Just like he was aiming for. I can’t believe that even after this truce between us, he still wants me dead. I should still want him dead, but I don’t. I don’t want to think about why that is, so I shove that thought away, too, and get into the car, not saying anything else to him.

***

After the rest of the day’s events, I find myself once again sitting in his car in a similar silence. It’s different this time. For one thing, the car smells of smoke. I’m used to the scent. It’s something that constantly clings to me because of my magic. This is different, though. It’s a reminder of everything that just happened tonight.

Another difference is the tingling of my lips as they remember what just happened. I kissed Baz. I _kissed_ Baz. I kissed _Baz_. I. Kissed. Baz. The more I repeat it, the more unbelievable it sounds. Everything about tonight seems unbelievable, but I want to believe. I don’t want things to go back to how they were before.

Then, it clicks. This is what his aunt meant when she asked if he meant a bloke. Whether she was referring to me or someone else, she knows that Baz is gay.

“You’re staring,” Baz says, not looking away from the road.

“I know,” I say, smiling.

“So, stop.”

“I don’t want to. I never want to stop looking at you, Baz.”

“Nothing’s changed,” he says half-heartedly.

“Everything has changed.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to die, and I am determined to prevent that from happening.”

We turn into his driveway, and he doesn’t say anything. As soon as he has the car in park, though, his hands are cupping my face, and he’s kissing me hard, like his life depends on this one moment. I kiss him back with as much feeling, trying to express all of the things that I have trouble saying. I don’t want to watch him die, and I don’t want to ever let him go. We will have to find a way to avoid this coming war, and we will have to do it together.


End file.
